


The Daily Prophet: Sirius Black Framed!

by ShivaVixen



Series: For Want of a Master [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Mistakes were made, No One Is Perfect, No character bashing, Reprecussions, Wormtail is just creepy, miscarriage of justice, the joy of newspapers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-18 21:28:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20319766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShivaVixen/pseuds/ShivaVixen
Summary: For those that didn’t listen to the radio or were on holiday or in school, the reveal of the innocent sent to Azkaban is the shocking headline first thing in the morning.Everyone is now scrambling to deal with the news, some handle it better than others.





	1. The Malfoys

The morning was bright, the dining table was set for breakfast, and Lucius Malfoy kissed his wife on the cheek as he sat down to eat.

They had returned last night from their family vacation in France, where due to a mutual agreement they did not accept any news at their private villa.

The paper was by his plate, but it waited until he was finished with his breakfast and his wife explained her plans for their son for the day, who left to get ready after breakfast was over and his parents finished their tea.

Taking a sip of tea, Lucius finally opened the paper, and promptly choked on the tea. 

**Sirius Black Framed! An Innocent in Azkaban!**

_In a press conference yesterday, Head Auror Scrimgeour and Head of the Department of Law Enforcement Amelia Bones revealed that Sirius Black was innocent of any wrongdoing the night of Oct. 31, 1981. Furthermore he was not given a trial due to bias by not only former Law Enforcement Head Bartimaeus Crouch but also Albus Dumbledore. The Aurors on the scene that night did not check his wand, nor was he questioned with vertiaserum. A concerned family member discovered his lack of conviction, bringing it to both departments attention. Upon having his wand checked and intensive questioning under oath and vertiaserum, the shocking reveal was that Peter Pettigrew was not only the traitor but an illegal rat animagus! (Cont. pg 4)_

“Narcissa, have you read the paper?” Lucius asked cautiously. Staring at the old pictures of Crouch, Sirius Black and Dumbledore that accompanied the front page article.

“No dear.” She looked at him curiously.

“I think you might want to read this.” Lucius passed her the paper.

“Innocent?” Narcissa looked at the paper in surprise. “Well, he’s not likely to support Dumbledore now.”

“Will he cause us any trouble?” Lucius didn’t have fond memories of Sirius Black, he’d been a source of frustration at school and then one of the more competent members of Dumbledore’s lackeys.

“Not likely.” Narcissa frowned. “Azkaban likely changed him ... shall I go visit?”

“Give him some time to recover first, just in case he’s unwell.” Lucius suggested. “I’ll check in at the ministry, see what’s happening there.”

* * *

There was practically a storm of owls and memos when Lucius arrived at the Ministry and barely managed to secure lunch with the Minister.

Cornelius Fudge was practically guileless, though he was a wonder at predicting how things would look to the media.

“Crouch is getting flooded with howlers, I’ve gotten a few as well, thank Merlin most of the complaints are for the previous minister.” Fudge sighed, “They’re going through old files now, making sure that no one else slipped through the cracks, but it’s very likely Crouch will have to resign or be demoted. Dumbledore came early in order to help, he’s already given his statement to the press and is helping field inquiries, donated his memories of the time for the departments to go over.”

“Aren’t you worried that someone will use this as an excuse to escape?”

“No, our concern is looking for a rat animagus with a missing toe.” Fudge shook his head. “The amount of people trying to pass rats as Pettigrew have doubled since this morning.” 

(It was almost a year before the Malfoys and Black finally met, and it was Black who reached out to them.)


	2. Albus Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore stared at the paper that had been flown in with breakfast that morning. The older students with the paper were whispering in shock.

“Albus, What is it?” Minerva noticed, and he quickly read the second page only for his features to become grim.

“It appears I made a grave mistake.” He passed her the paper. Down the table Severus was glaring at his paper.

“Black was innocent?!” A slytherin student shrieked. 

“An animagus ... best make sure the students with rats don’t lose their pets to panic.” Minerva stood up. “All those with rats as pets, bring them to my classroom to be checked after breakfast. All transfiguration classes will be cancelled for today.” At least twenty students rushed off to do so.

Hagrid was sobbing and being comforted by Pomona and Sinistra, “You didn’t know dear.”

“That’s why he gave me his bike, he wanted to protect little Harry! I should’ve kept him from runnin’ off! He never thought clear when he was upset!” Hagrid blew his nose with gusto. “Been there in that horrible place all this time!”

“I best go to the ministry.” Dumbledore sighed and began to walk his office.

He was accosted by Severus. “Black was supposed to stay in Azkaban!”

“You would condemn an innocent man for a crime he didn’t commit?” Dumbledore asked.

“He tried to kill me!”

“And you successfully got your revenge and then some, did you not?” 

Snape recoiled as if struck. “Don’t you dare-“

“Severus, I gave you a second chance when by rights I should have let you be taken into Azkaban yourself for your selfishness. The same second chance I gave Sirius Black in your fifth year, only I was the one that went back on my mercy.” Dumbledore sighed. “He’s still out there, and we need all the allies we can get. Let us hope that we can count on Sirius’s aid should the worst occur.”

Severus scowled, but nodded reluctantly, slightly pacified that part of the reason Black had been sent to Azkaban had been his attempt at sending Severus to meet Lupin on a full moon all those years ago.

“I think I’ll use the floo, apparating first thing after breakfast rather ruins my appetite for the rest of the day.” Dumbledore decided, and Severus swept off. 

Dumbledore sighed as he reached his office. In some ways he suspected that conversation with Severus was the easiest conversation he would have during this mess.

“What’s this about Sirius Black being innocent?!” The portrait Phineas Nigellus Black demanded as he entered. “Surely you would have discovered that at his trial?!”

“Crouch wrote for him to be taken directly to Azkaban without a trial and I allowed it. It seems I was mistaken.”

“Seems?!”

“Bad show, Albus.” Scolded his own former Headmaster. “I thought you knew better, study all evidence first, even what seems obvious.”

“You never trusted him, did you?” Phineas’ tone was cold, and he disappeared from his frame.

“Oh dear,” Dippet shook his head, “Crazy the Blacks may be, but they all value family higher than they let on. You’ll have to work a long time before you get that one’s help again.”

“I will be doing that a lot the next few months I fear.” And with that, Dumbledore flooed to the Ministry.

(He was proven correct, but at least the Howlers only lasted a week this time.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More insight on why I’m sure the incident in the Marauders fifth year is why Dumbledore didn’t push for a trial.
> 
> In some ways, Snape and Sirius are very much alike, I think. Or at least make interesting parallels to each other.


	3. Bill Weasley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Bill’s still at hogwarts the spring of 88. 90 % sure he graduates spring of 89.
> 
> Anyway, I wanted Bill there.

Bill and Charlie Weasley were having an unusual day. 

Once the papers had come in and McGonagall gave her announcement, the two had been trying to convince Percy that his rat needed to be checked as well, just as a precaution. Their younger brother was surprisingly reluctant to agree to it, insisting Scabbers was just a rat. 

By the time they got Percy to agree, and gotten to the tower, it was only to discover that Scabbers was gone.

All the dorms were searched as well as the common room, and Charlie managed to talk to Nick and the Friar into helping them search for the missing rat.

Bill managed to get the portraits and paintings to agree to keep an eye out as well, and then he had to tell Professor McGonagall, who had just finished checking all the other pet rats in the castle, how his brother’s rat had gone missing.

She then searched the dorms as well, but found blood and some fur in an overlooked corner.

Percy was devastated, one of the cats in the dorms must’ve gotten loose from their room and eaten the rat for a snack. 

That’s what the entire house believed, but Bill was watching McGonagall who was frowning at the fur. And he followed her out. 

“Professor... Pettigrew faked his death once ... what are the odds he’d do it again as a rat when the truth came out?”

“Very high I’m afraid, but no use worrying the children, Mr. Weasley.”

“Professor, he slept in my brother’s bed.” Bill scowled. “In Ron’s too, when he had a nightmare.”

“I understand.” McGonagall suddenly seemed more catlike. “I’ll do a search around the grounds, but I suggest you don’t tell your suspicions to any one other than me or your father.” And with a half turn, a cat was suddenly where his professor had stood. With a reassuring purr, the cat began her hunt.

Bill returned to the common room to see several of the students giving Percy some spare change of theirs to buy a new pet as none of the cat owners were sure which one had done it and all felt horrible about it.

“I don’t think it was greedy Gus, but here.”

Given that ‘greedy Gus’ was a blind cat that would run into walls and objects while playing, and had never managed to pounce with any accuracy, Percy actually cracked a smile and gave a small chuckle.

Bill reluctantly started a letter to his mum about the day, without mentioning his suspicions.

(Judging from McGonagall’s scowl the next morning, her hunt had not been successful.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So tempted to make a reference to the Hogwarts Mystery game (I only recently started playing so I’m stuck going very slowly through first year)


	4. Wormtail

Wormtail had known that eventually, he’d have to give up his comforts- all the snacks, the warm bed, it would all one day go. 

He wasn’t expecting for the sound of footsteps returning to the dormitories so soon after breakfast- or for their discussion!

Someone had finally questioned Sirius Black, he should’ve known the lack of a trial would come back to bite him.

Oh well. He had to gnaw his side to leave enough fur and blood, and then it was easy enough to slip out through the secret passages into the Forbidden Forest.

He’d have to wait a while and then find a new family once the heat died down ... perhaps a muggle family with a magical child. 

It wouldn’t be too hard, just find a child that made things float or change color or well, wasn’t normal by muggle standards.

He didn’t dare risk Azkaban or any of the free death eaters, they’d probably kill him.

And Sirius and Remus would kill him outright, so that wasn’t an option.

He was tempted to find Harry, perhaps he would protect him ... he’d survived Voldemort after all.

Yet there was no way Sirius wasn’t going to head straight to Harry the instant he was able.

Somedays, Wormtail wished he was braver. Then he’d remembered all the dead bodies left by the death eaters and the screams of those being tortured and he didn’t want to be a victim.

He didn’t care how, he just wanted to live.

(Two years later, he would find two tiny little boys who floated a ball between them, and were able to convince their parents to keep a pet rat.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah, I just sent Wormtail to Colin and Dennis... because my vague plans for the future don’t involve killing Colin like in canon, but traumatizing him is an acceptable substitute I hope?


	5. Augusta Longbottom

Augusta Longbottom stared at article, her grandson was still recovering from being being dropped from a window yesterday, she’d sent Algie, who was clearly getting senile, packing with several hexes once the relief that Neville did have magic wore off.

Once he recovered from the shock, Neville would begin with the primers that Augusta had bought to help him prepare for Hogwarts.

One couldn’t start learning too early, his father had learned a few charms before school and Neville’s rather weak magic could make it difficult.

But that had nothing to do with the Article that announced the fact that Sirius Black was innocent, had been consigned to Azkaban by Crouch Sr. without a trial.

Old cases were now to be reviewed, in case a similar oversight had been made for someone else.

While Black being proven innocent was a good thing for him, this review of old cases could lead to the freeing of other death eaters. 

Crouch Jr. was dead, but the Lestranges and Dolohov... those three might get loose. They were still alive. And Augusta would rather join them in Azkaban than have them free and able to harm her grandson.

(Letters of outrage would be written, and somehow, Augusta Longbottom’s outrage over the review of the old cases ended the calls for Crouch to be removed or demoted by the public, letting him keep his job.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She might regret her concern about the three in Azkaban ended up supporting Crouch Sr. later on, but for now, she’s relieved the trio is still in there.


	6. Rita Skeeter

Rita Skeeter was furious. The best headline, the greatest scandal of her career and she had missed it!

She’d been tracking down a hot lead about a group of hags being allowed to kidnap children that the ministry was covering up, and had gotten distracted by the news of a possible vampire and hag alliance (the owner of the little pub she’d stopped to have lunch at was quite knowledgeable about hags) when she had received the paper.

Rita crumpled the paper slightly as she glared at the headline. Her tea cup was rattling slightly on the table. She had been there at the trials! She had been there covering it and she herself had never questioned the fact Black never had a trial... she’d just assumed that his confession was genuine but this ... a wizard whose mind broke under the realization his friend had betrayed them ... 

And the unfeeling Crouch who of course had sentenced his own son, why would he bother looking further? The man wouldn’t know grief if it stood naked in front of him- she have to work on that metaphor- he wouldn’t have thought about other manifestations of grief.

(Rita ignored the part of herself that pointed out she herself had written Black as mad in her own article she’d done.)

Rita Skeeter would get her reputation back, and she’d do it by getting an exclusive interview with Sirius Black.

Decision made, she finished her meal. She’d finish the story on hags after she sent an owl requesting an interview to Sirius Black.

(It and all subsequent owls came back with the letters unread. Either he was a St. Mungo’s in the intensive care ward, or he was in a heavily warded safe house to recover. The release of a statement from Black months later had her calling her editor and wrangling a promise that she would be sent to do the interview.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have two plans for Skeeter... one, she gets a comeuppance from an unexpected quarter, two, something similar to canon, only it’s not just Hermione she has to worry about.


End file.
